Wireless devices which communicate with each other and are part of wireless networks must often be configured to participate in a wireless network. Configuration may include a unique address for the device on the network, the radio frequencies upon which the device should operate, and other parameters which may change from network to network. In some instances the wireless devices may be utility devices, without direct user input during their normal operation, which may be placed in user accessible, or public, places where they may be subjected to malicious or accidental interference. Often, these utility devices are intended to be configured by a network installer when they are installed and then left to run without further physical intervention. Example devices may include Smart Energy (“SE”) devices deployed in a home or business and communicating in a mesh network to report on and control the energy use of the installation site.
A wireless device generally requires some network information before it can connect to a given network. In some cases, the device is pre-configured with network parameters when it is manufactured. More often, however, the wireless device allows for some pre-connection configuration. Often, especially for small wireless devices such as those used in SE networks, the configuration interface may consist of a few buttons and limited feedback to the installer, where the installer inputs the configuration parameters in a slow and time consuming “Morse code” like process.